Chapter 38

“Is Reyes here?”

Sabina whispered.

“Yes.”

Then it would be best not to make eye contact, following Ashton’s advice.

If Ashton was present, Reyes wouldn’t approach Sabina and would pass by. It was another moment when Ashton’s Kenneth-like temperament shone.

The young man had been loosening his jacket since leaving the King’s reception room. Sabina, separated only by a thin shirt, could hear his heartbeat.

“Is he gone now?”

After counting his heartbeat to thirty, Sabina raised her head and asked. That should be enough for Reyes to have left.

Ashton looked down at her and smiled gently. He didn’t answer whether Reyes had left or not. He just held her hand tightly and asked,

“Isn’t the royal garden truly beautiful?”

It was an offhand question. Sabina blinked, puzzled by why he would ask such a thing.

Ashton tapped Sabina’s handbag. Her gaze followed.

“I’d like to take one here.”

Inside that small handbag was only one thing—the device she’d just demonstrated before Kenneth.

“I asked if Reyes had left.”

“If I say he’s gone, you’ll pull away.”

“Of course.”

“Please, just one.”

Sabina’s lips moved silently. She soon pressed them into a straight line, but a flush crept up her neck. Annoying. She muttered. She felt swept up again.

In the end, she turned her head and looked for Reyes’s shadow. He seemed to have disappeared; she couldn’t see him anywhere. Or maybe Ashton’s claim that Reyes was there had been a lie.

Sabina immediately pushed Ashton’s chest away gently. His fingers were still entwined with hers, but she pulled away.

“Did you forget? I’m still a bit angry at you.”

“I know. That’s why you said you wouldn’t see me until Helio enters school, isn’t it?”

“You know… and yet…”

Sabina trembled, thinking Ashton was making light of her words. Seeing her clutch her bag tightly, worried he might forcefully take it, Ashton smiled quietly.

If Ashton tried to snatch the bag, Sabina could just stop time.

But she stubbornly refrained from using her powerful and dangerous magic. It was almost frustrating.

“I don’t plan to take it by force.”

Ashton crouched, resting his hands on his knees. For a moment, he was at eye level with Sabina, then even lower. He hugged his knees and looked up at her.

“I’m just asking.”

He wore that face again—the one Sabina found hard to refuse.

Even her fingertips were red beneath the white lace gloves. Ashton knew it wasn’t excitement or embarrassment, but a trace of irritation at not being able to control the situation.

“Hmm? Sabina.”

And if she really disliked something, she’d respond with icy anger, not cute irritation.

“How arrogant. Arrogant… really arrogant.”

Sabina glared at Ashton. He just laughed like someone without a care.

“You don’t want to?”

“No.”

“You’re not going to see me until Helio enters school, right?”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“That’s why I need a picture of you. I won’t see you for a long time.”

“I said I don’t mind not seeing you, didn’t I?”

“That was about a week. If it’s a month, it’s different.”

“You…!”

“I saw earlier it only takes five seconds. It’s not even difficult. You won’t even do that?”

Sabina was speechless at his last words.

Deep down, she wanted to grant his request.

But not wanting to admit that, she made up other reasons in her head.

‘If I refuse childishly now, I’ll have no right to scold him for how he treated Helio the other day.’

A moment of silent struggle passed.

In the garden, full of beautiful summer flowers, she stared at Ashton with a flushed, expressionless face, pondering.

Both knew it was a pointless struggle.

The conclusion was as expected: acceptance.

“…Fine. As you say, it’s not difficult.”

Sabina handed over her handbag to Ashton. The young man, still sitting awkwardly on the ground, smiled as he opened her bag and took out the device, split in two.

He aligned the front and back, turning the front toward where he wanted the image.

“Smile.”

“No.”

Sabina stubbornly kept her expression blank.

Ashton, unlike Sabina earlier, didn’t infuse it with magic. He had to pretend not to be a mage. Instead, he lightly pulled the cord between the seams to activate the internal scroll.

The scroll, skillfully imbued with magic, tore inside, and a thin needle moved, making a faint sound. This needle, influenced by Kenneth’s ‘Record’ magic, changed colors and drew an image on the small paper.

Once the faint scratching stopped, he separated the device.

Inside was a transparent scroll and a picture of Sabina, her face subtly flushed, staring blankly ahead.

Due to limited research time, the reproduction was a bit rough. Still, it was an impressive result. Ashton stroked the edge of the paper, smiling faintly.

“It’s nice and small. I can carry it in my pocket.”

“You’ll carry it in your pocket?”

“Of course. And I’ll show it off to everyone I meet.”

Sabina frowned slightly, as if incredulous. A very subtle movement. Ashton laughed aloud and stuffed the ruined scroll into his pocket.

“This one picture will get me through the rest of the summer.”

“Do you like me that much?”

The sudden question brought a silence. It wasn’t awkward. Ashton smiled softly.

“Yes.”

He knew that every time he answered like this, Sabina was filled with countless doubts. She thought their time together was too short for real feelings.

But Ashton was sincere. He liked Sabina. But knowing he would have to part with her in the worst way, he didn’t explain further. And if he started explaining, he’d have to say things he shouldn’t.

‘You have no idea how lucky it is you can’t love anyone.’

Ashton stood up.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I say I like you, right?”

He said, offering his hand.

He was right.

Sabina, almost without thinking, took his hand.

“You don’t dislike me, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

Sabina answered simply, then realized she was supposed to be ‘angry’ at Ashton and felt a pang of regret. Ashton kept smiling as he held her hand, and Sabina, bristling like a cat with its claws trimmed, let herself be escorted all the way to D’Vialis Mansion.

Only after the annoying man waved goodbye and left did she realize Ashton had taken her portrait, but she hadn’t received his.

“…Ha.”

She tapped the ground hard with her albatross cane. Then, as if it didn’t bother her at all, she turned and went inside.

After crossing the threshold, Sabina’s face softened.

“My Lady.”

Helio had come out to the hall to wait for Sabina.

She answered in a calm, mature tone.

“Yes, Helio. What is it?”

As she replied, Sabina realized the maids were peeking at them from behind the hall pillar.

Even mischievous Vicky, calm Julia, and even strict Mitchel—all were watching the pair with evident curiosity.

‘Why are they all watching like this?’

Helio seemed too nervous to even notice their attention.

Sabina patiently waited for the boy, who hesitated for a long time. After several minutes, he silently handed her an envelope.

She turned it over—it was from Certanon Academy.

“The report card arrived.”

At Sabina’s plain words, Helio’s shoulders flinched.

Except for her relationship with Reyes, Sabina’s life had flowed similarly across all three rounds. Only the details changed, and one of those details was Helio’s grades.

In the first round, they were a bit higher; in the second, lower. In the second, she’d been so troubled by Reyes she hadn’t been able to help the boy study.

“Don’t worry. It’s not the kind of test that ranks you.”

Sabina reassured Helio, breaking the wax seal with her fingertip. As usual, Helio didn’t look comforted at all, swallowing dryly.

Flip—the paper unfolded.

Helio, watching the unreadable expression on Sabina’s face, regretted not opening it himself, over and over. Her face gave no clues about his results.

Sabina read carefully.

There wasn’t much to read, really.

The academy entrance exam results came just two days after the test. There wasn’t enough time for detailed individual evaluation, so the report card was a standard printout with just the student’s name.

Still, Sabina’s gaze lingered on the paper.

“Are my grades… bad?”

Unable to bear the silence, Helio finally spoke. Sabina replied quietly and evenly.

“Certanon Academy divides classes into five grades. You’re grade 3.”

Helio’s face turned pale. Grade 3 sounded average, but he’d hoped to be around 300th out of a thousand. It was a modest goal.

“Grade 3…”

“But you’ll graduate top of your class anyway. Having a rare attribute gives you a big advantage in your thesis.”

“Grade 3…”

Sabina forgot to mention there were only 15 in grade 1, about 60 in grade 2, and about 120 in grade 3. Even the lowest grade 5 wasn’t shameful—more than half the entrants got grade 5.

Not knowing the grading system, Helio blamed himself for not studying harder, and Sabina called Mitchel, who’d been watching from behind the pillar.

“Mitchel, take this and put it in a frame that fits.”

Her tone was as calm as if she were asking for milk or a change of clothes.

Mitchel, caught spying, coughed and asked,

“Miss Sabina, it’s just a printed report card.”

“I know. But frame it and hang it in my room.”

“Pardon?”

Helio jumped.

Sabina handed the report card to Mitchel and smiled gently.

“Today, only you made me happy. I’m proud of you, Helio.”

Helio, about to protest, blushed at his master’s words and couldn’t say anything more.